I’m sorry Ave, I think. They’re the only words I can conjure now. I’m so, so sorry…
I flatten myself against the wall as something heavy slams against the trailer door. Rupert turns away from me at the startling sound. Furious fists pound against the locked door, and a ragged, irate voice sounds out from beyond the barrier.
“Open this fucking door!”
A sob of relief rises from my chest as I recognize Jack’s rich, full voice. Another slamming thud crashes against the door. And another. He’s throwing his entire body against it.
“I will break this thing down if you don’t open up, Davies,” he roars.
“Shit. Oh shit…” Rupert mutters, his eyes wide as they land on me. In a rush of unthinking fury, he charges at me and grabs me by the shoulders. My robe hangs down around my body, undone in the struggle. “You’re a bad little girl,” he mutters maniacally, grabbing hold of my ass, “You got me caught.”
I level my gaze at him, take a breath, and spit right into his repulsive face.
“You got yourself caught,” I snarl as he reels away, trying to wipe the saliva off his face.
Before Rupert can utter another word, the trailer door clatters wide open. Jack’s made good on his promise to break the door down. His eyes flick from Rupert’s unbuckled belt to my quaking, barely clothed body. He doesn’t pause at the threshold like some conquering hero, or make a show of rescuing me. No—he lets the momentum of his running start carry him across the trailer, straight into the cowering body of Rupert Davies.
Jack’s powerful body slams into the director’s, leveling him. In a heartbeat, Jack has the asshole pinned to the ground, squirming like a worm on a hook. Jack’s face is frozen in a mask of fierce determination as he brings his fist raining down. I hear the sickly crack as that fist collides with Davie’s jaw, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.
The past comes swimming up to meet the present as I recall the night of my parents’ disastrous party. Jack had come running when Daryl Hellman cornered me in that coat room, intent on taking what wasn’t his. And now, once again, Jack has arrived just in time. Only now, there are no righteous parents to intervene, no one to stop him from beating the living shit out of this monster who’s done so much harm.
Good.
I scramble to my feet, and dash as I best I can out of the trailer. In a daze, I stagger into the waiting arms of Penelope and Parker. Their arms are the only thing holding me up as the sounds of Rupert’s beat down go on and on.
“Callie, are you OK?!” Penelope breathes, taking my face in her hands.
“We shouldn’t have left you. We never would have thought—” Parker goes on, letting me lean heavily on his arm as Callie re-ties my robe. The rest of the crew has started to assemble around us, drawn in by the cacophony ringing out from the trailer.
I glance back at the open doorway and watch as Jack wails mercilessly on Rupert. He’s begun to scream, his voice ragged and bloodthirsty.
“You thought you could get away with this, didn’t you?” Jack roars, grabbing Rupert by the collar and slamming him hard against the trailer wall. “You thought you could hurt the woman I love and just walk away? Well I’ve got a better idea—”
My hearts leaps into my throat as Jack brings his knee up into Rupert’s swollen stomach. Even in this brutal, terrifying moment, my heart and mind rally around one little word. Did he just say love? The woman he loves? He did. He absolutely did.
Jackson Cole loves me.
Parker and Penelope pull me out of the way as a duo of security personnel storm past us into the trailer. Even though the two men are burly in their own right, they can scarcely pull Jack away from Rupert. I steal a glance at the scumbag director, barely conscious and cowering against the wall. His nose is streaming blood, his eyes already turning black. I’m not a violent person, and I’d never wish this on an innocent man. But knowing what he did to Avery, what he’s capable of…I can’t help but feel satisfied, seeing him in so much pain.
“Come on Mr. Cole,” one of the security guards says firmly, grabbing Jack by the arm.
“Get your hands off me,” Jack growls, his chest heaving.
“We need to escort you off the premises,” says a second guard, laying a heavy hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Studio’s orders.”
“You mean Miriam Blake’s orders,” Jack shoots back.
“Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be,” advises the first guard.
“What about him?” Jack says, glaring down at Rupert’s barely-conscious form, “Does the studio plan on doing a goddamn thing about the rapist they hired to direct their film?!”
“He’ll be dealt with, don’t you worry,” says the second guard, “But right now, we need you to leave this lot immediately.”
Jack ignores the guards as his eyes fall on me. He brushes off the mountainous men and rushes toward me. Stepping away from my friends, I meet him halfway, throwing my arms around his shoulders. Only now that he’s here with me does the full weight of what’s happened—what might have happened—hit me.
“Cal, are you OK? Are you hurt?” he whispers, holding me close to his chest.
“No…I mean I’m OK. I’m not hurt. You came just in time,” I sob, pulling back to look up at his clear blue eyes. “What are you even doing here? You weren’t called on set today. How did you know…?”
“I just had a feeling,” he says grimly, taking my face in his hands, “When I saw your note this morning, I knew you’d be alone with that fucker on set. It just felt so wrong. But I never thought he’d be capable of this…I could kill him, I swear.”
“I think you almost did,” I breathe.
“Mr. Cole,” the first guard says, stepping up behind Jack. “You need to go. Now.”
“I’m so sorry for the way I acted last night,” Jack says to me, ignoring him, “Everything I said…It was so stupid. I don’t give a shit about what the rest of the world thinks, or about my career, or any of it. All I care about is you, Cal. That’s the truth.”
“It’s OK,” I tell him, “It's OK now, Jack.”
“Do we need to cuff you, Mr. Cole?” the second guard asks, crossing his thick arms.
“Looks like I need to get a move on here,” Jack scowls, holding me fast, “I don’t know what happens next here, Cal. But I’ll get back to your side as soon as I can, I promise. Are you going to be alright?”
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him, laying my hands on his chest, “I just…can’t believe you did this. For me.”
“It’s not like there isn’t precedent,” he says grimly.
“Right,” I breathe, thinking back to the last time Jack leapt to my defense against a morally corrupt attacker. “Hey…You remember how that night ended, all those years ago?” I go on, lacing my fingers behind his neck.
“You kissed me for the first time,” Jack says, the corner of his mouth lifting ever-so-slightly, “How could I ever forget that?”
“Well…since we already seem to be reliving the past,” I whisper, “Do you mind if we keep going a little?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jack murmurs, wrapping his arms around my waist and bringing his mouth to mine.
His kiss is positively shattering. It demolishes the fear, the doubt, and the uncertainty. As our mouths move together, our tongues twining, our hands searching, I know one thing for sure. This doesn’t have to be the end for us after all. Whatever happens next, we can still find a way to be together in it. As long as we’re willing to try like hell.
“Enough,” mutters the first guard, seizing Jack’s elbow
“Show’s over,” the second guard announces to the gathered crew members.
They try to pull Jack away from me, but I’m determined not to let him go.
“Ma’am, please…” sighs the first guard.
“Don’t ma’am me,” I shoot back, “Jack is the only reason that scumbag didn’t get to force himself on me. Where were you when I was being attacked, huh? What, di
d the studio pay you not to interrupt Mr. Davies when he was assaulting women in hair and makeup? Did you see what he was doing to my sister and turn a blind eye then, too?”
The men avert their eyes at my accusation. It’s all the proof I need.
“What do you mean, about Avery?” Jack breathes, his eyes going wide.
“Oh, Jack…” I say softly, laying a hand on his chest as if I could stop his heart from breaking just by holding it in. “Jack, he got to her. The whole time she was on set, he was…he…That was what set her off. Not the attention, not the rumors. It was Rupert.”
Even the security guards don’t try to move Jack as this truth sinks into his whirling mind. I expect him to break away and finish Rupert Davies off right then and there, but instead he lifts his head defiantly.
“We’ll make this right,” Jack assures me firmly, “I’ll be fine. Let me go sort out my part in this, and stay safe until I get back.”
“OK,” I whisper, giving him one last swift kiss before the guards haul him away. They only get a few paces before my voice bubbles up again. “Hey,” I call after him.
“Yeah?” Jack calls back.
“Did you mean what you said back there, before?” I ask, wrapping my arms around my waist, “About me…uh…being the woman you love? Or was that just some crazy heat-of-the-moment thing?”
That grin I adore blooms across Jack’s face as he replies, “I meant it, Cal.”
“Oh,” I breathe, smiling goofily back at him. “Well I mean it too. That I love you, I mean. I…Goddammit. I’m really bad at big pronouncements.”
“You’re perfect,” he laughs, shaking his head, “I’ll see you soon.”
With that, the security guards spin Jack around and march him out of the movie studio. And something tells me that this time, it’s for good. I grimace as an on-set medical team descends on my attacker, closing the trailer door to any prying eyes. So help me, I will make sure that Rupert Davies is held accountable for what he’s done. Not just to me, and not just to Avery, but to every woman he’s dared to assault along the way.
“Callie?” Penelope says from over my shoulder.
I turn back to her and Parker, drawing myself up as best I can.
“Well,” I say, “I guess shooting’s done for today.”
“That’s the understatement of the century,” Parker smiles sadly. “Honey, I’m so sorry you had to go through this.”
“And I’m sorry for what I’m about to tell you…” Penelope says, biting her lip as she stares down at her phone.
“What is it?” I ask. Surely it couldn’t make this situation any worse.
“It’s Miriam Blake,” Penelope replies, her eyes going wide. “She’s sent Lionel to bring you directly to her office in Midtown. He’s waiting for you outside.”
A hot coil of fury sparks in my gut as I think of that icy woman. Probably, she wants to berate me for encouraging Rupert to make a pass. Or else she wants to fire me. Or threaten me. Well, I’ve got a few choice words for her too.
“Great,” I say shortly, turning on my heel, “Let me just throw on something a little more comfortable, then I’ll be on my way.”
Miriam Blake may be one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her have the last word on this one.
Chapter Eighteen
The elevator doors whisper open onto that long, white corridor that I hoped I’d never see again. At the end of the pristine stretch, the Apollo Pictures logo blazes like a beacon, drawing me forward. Squaring my shoulders, I set off down the hall, ready to give Miriam Blake a piece of my mind at long last.
Miriam’s beautiful assistant, Diana, is waiting for me just beyond the glass doors. The cool, dismissive expression she wore last time we met is gone from her face. In its place is a look of encouragement, of solidarity even.
“Callie,” she says, looking like she wants to throw her arms around me. “Thank you for coming so soon. I know you must not be in any mood to talk business right now…”
“It’s OK Diana,” I say, laying a hand on her slender arm.
“I just can’t believe he’s still getting away with it,” Diana mutters, shaking her head, “Everyone at Apollo knows about Mr. Davies’ track record. It’s just…It’s unconscionable.”
Her words only bolster my determination. “He didn’t ever try anything with you, did he?” I ask her, as gently as I can.
Diana scoffs tearfully. “Of course he did. He’ll try to get his hands on anything with two X chromosomes. He’s a monster.”
“And the studio knew about this?” I gasp, my heart breaking for the woman in front of me. I can’t believe I was petty enough to feel jealous of her, the first time we met. Already, that feels like years ago, but really it’s been less than a month since I signed onto City in Red. It’s amazing what you can learn about the world—and yourself—in just a month’s time.
“The entire industry knows about this,” she says, shaking her head, “But no one’s ever been able to do a damn thing. That’s just the way it is.”
“Was,” I correct her firmly, “That’s the way it was.”
I turn on my heel, take a deep breath, and march to the door of Miriam Blake’s office. Without bothering to knock, I tug the door open and step over the threshold. Though my stomach is knotting itself into anxious snarls, I keep my head held high. Miriam Blake may be the most influential woman in Hollywood today, but she’s still just a person. And I’m not leaving this office until she hears me out.
The back of her head is what greets me as I enter, that shock of white hair unmoving as ever. She’s standing before the wall of windows, looking out across Midtown Manhattan. Though her frame is slight, she looks like a master of the universe, silhouetted by all that chrome and neon majesty. And she doesn’t even need to turn around to know that it’s little old me who’s entered her office.
“My, my. A couple days of notoriety and all your manners have gone out the window,” she says coolly, finally turning to face me across the cavernous space. “What, have you forgotten how to knock?”
“I spent the morning fending off a depraved pervert and watching my best friend get dragged away by your private security team,” I respond dryly, “Excuse me if I’m not feeling super polite right now.”
“You can cut the dramatics,” Miriam replies, sitting down behind her sleek desk. “There aren’t any swooning fans or slavering reporters here. Just you and me. And we have a few things to discuss.”
“Oh, we most certainly do,” I shoot back, stepping up to her desk but refusing to take the seat she offers.
“Let me cut right to the chase,” she says crisply, “City of Red has been a bitch of a movie to get made. Every time we think we’ve gotten the thing on track, something else goes wrong. If I had any sense, I’d pull the plug. But Apollo Pictures feels that we’ve sunk too much money into the damn thing to kill it now. We need to pick a solution and stick with it. So, here’s the plan: It’s your movie now.”
OK… I think to myself, now I need to sit down…
“Wh-what?” I sputter, sinking into the chair opposite Miriam Blake. “What are you talking about, my movie?”
“You’ve done an excellent job with the role so far,” Miriam says frankly, “Your in-scene rewrites have been spot on. You’re actually managing to make Rosalie Danes into a three-dimensional character, and the press seems interested in, if not entirely fond of you. There’s no way in hell I’m recasting both my leads, so—”
“You don’t mean you’re actually recasting Jack?” I cut her off, “He made this movie happen. It’s his baby. He is Joel Brennan.”
“No. He’s the asshole who beat my director to a bloody pulp this morning,” Miriam quips, “So he’s out.”
“You’re forgetting a pretty important plot point there, Ms. Blake,” I seethe, “You know, the part where Jack intervened when Rupert Davies was in the act of assaulting me?”
“I see no point in dwe
lling on something that never came to pass,” Miriam says, waving away my words.
My jaw falls into my lap as I stare at the cold woman before me. “That’s all you have to say about the fact that your director locked me in a trailer and—?”
“You’d still get the million we agreed on,” she cuts me off, leaning her elbows on her desk, “Rupert will keep his hands to himself for the rest of the shoot, and you’ll still get to be a movie star. Everything will work out for you in the end. All you have to do is keep quiet about what happened today and let Jack walk. What do you say?”
“You’re trying to buy my silence,” I say, my voice hollow.
“Don’t act like a naïve little girl,” Miriam sniffs, crossing her arms.
For a long moment, my mind is too numb with shock to formulate a coherent thought. The proposition she’s put before me is brutal, unconscionable, too twisted to comprehend. As I sit there, staring at Miriam, a single word starts pulsing in my mind like a blaring, neon sign: Avery…Avery…Avery…
“Did you know what Rupert Davies was doing to my sister?” I ask her, my voice quiet but strong.
“What’s that? Speak up,” Miriam scowls at me.
“Were you aware? That Rupert Davies. Was abusing my sister. On the set of your movie?” I ask, my words quivering with ever-increasing rage.
Miriam doesn’t say a word, but her silence speaks volumes. Of course she knew all about what Rupert was doing. And she didn’t give a flying fuck about it.
“Were you also aware,” I press on, my fingers digging into the arms of the chair, “That Avery was molested as a child? And that being around that monster of a director sent into the tail spin that killed her?”
“That is just conjecture,” Miriam cuts in.
“Shut up!” I scream, leaping to my feet and towering over her desk. It’s hard to believe that a few short weeks ago, I was standing in the center of this room like a timid little animal, awed by the importance and grace of Miriam Blake. But now, I see her clearly. She's just another wolf in haute couture.
Damaged In-Law Page 18
